Method of treating ores.



No. 67|,389. Patented Apr. 2, IBM.

M. SELIGSOHN. METHOD OF TREATING ORES.

(Application gled Apr. 25, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

INVENTOR a Se .1

Aztorn "m: hams mans m. rnam-umoq msmnamn a c IJNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MORRIS SELIGSOHN, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNA- TIONAL METAL EXTRACTION COMPANY, OF COLORADO.

METHOD OF TREATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent Nb. 671,389, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed April 25, 1900. b'el'ial No. 14,294. (No specimens.)

T on whom, it may concern: valueless material and the precipitation of Be it known that I, MORRIS SELIGSOHN, a the heavier values. My invention contemcitizen of the United States of America, replates a similar procedure, although the air siding at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe undergoes a difierent treatment in that it is 5 and State of Colorado, have invented certain charged orimpregnated with chemicals which new and useful Improvements in the Methods give it additional qualities and which results of Treating Ores, of which the following is a in increased efliciency. In consequence Iatspecification. tain an improvement in the physical condi- My invention relates to an improvement in tion of the elements used in the process, I0 the method of treating ores. which improvement in the physical condition The primary object is to increase the peris effected by the use of these chemicals. I centage of Valuable metal extracted by amalam aware that there are a number of procgamation. This increase in amalgamation is esses which use chlorin and bromin in the exoaused principally by these facts, to wit: that traction of certain elements from their ores- 15 the gases which pass into the pulp act upon for example, the extraction of gold. These the rusty gold and so alter it that it beprocesses, however, are purely chemical comes subject to amalgamation. The gas 0nesthat is, all the gold contents in these also acts upon the amalgam upon the plate, ores are changed to a definite compound of so that it is kept clean and the amalgam gold with chlorin or bromin, which gold is 2o maintained at the proper consistency, thus subsequently recovered by the destruction increasing to avariable extent the percentage of these chemical compounds. These procof precious metals caught and amalgamated esses completely alter the chemical condition by the plates, which in most cases is consid- 0f the gold. My present process alters the erable. It also saponifies any grease or oil physical conditions of the elements hereinaf- 7 2 5 that may be present in the pulp and clarifies tel set forth.

or makes the pulp more amenable to amalga- The present process contemplates the use of mation by its action upon the clay and matchlorin gas or chlorin and bromin gas, or both, ter in suspension and is efficacious in preor, in fact, any other kindred gases which can venting the sickening or fiouring of the produce the same results and effects required o mercury. of these last-named gases, and in the pre- Hitherto a patent has been granted to B. F. ferred exemplification of my invention I pro- House, No. 590,739, dated September 28, 1897, pose to use ammoniated air in combination on a process of separating ores, of which lam with one or both of said gases or other kinpart owner. In this patent ammoniated air, dred gases which can produce the same or 3 5 or air charged or impregnated with ammonia, equivalent results.

is utilized to cause a separation of the pre- When a solution of ammonia is mixed with cious metals from extraneous material-such, a halogen, it is well known that there is, parfor example, as arsenicin which it is someticularly under the influence of light and times incased, and also for the precipitation heat, a chemical reaction, yielding oxygen. 40 of ores which are held in suspension by the When this reaction occurs in pulp, the oxywater or pulp passing from the stamp-mill or gen comes in contact with the ore and amalother source of supply. In that patent the gam in its nascent condition, when it is parair is passed through a receptacle containing ticularly efficacious in oxidizing impuritiesammonia and when thoroughly charged it is e. 9., sulfids, 860., having a tendency to retard 5 5 injected under pressure beneath the surface or prevent amalgamation or to sicken the and as near the bottom of the pulp as possimercury. ble in proximity to an amalgamating-plate, With the foregoing in view my invention and by virtue of this upward discharge of consists in a process of treating ores consistammoniated air through the material being ing in introducing into the ore-pulp air im- 10c 50 treated the latter undergoes a physical pregnated with two or more chemicals adaptchange, resulting in the removal of the lighter ed by their mutual reaction to promote amalinvention has nothing whatever to do with the appliances, as it is possible to use it in connection with a great variety of ore-milling machinery, the invention having to do altogether with the method or process and not in any sense the mechanism with .which it may be advantageous to use or apply it.

in Figure 1 a longitudinal sectional view of a plate or trough more or less inclined to facilitate the flow of pulp, with an amalgamating-plate and a pipe for introducing the impregnated or charged air at the lower surface of the pulp. In Fig. 2 I have indicated an arrangement by which the air is discharged inside of a stamp-battery. In Fig. 3 is illustrated a discharge into the flowing pulp outside of the stamp-battery as it discharges the pulp from the mortar.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated an arrangement applied to the exterior of a Huntington mill.

As stated, a variety of other appliances might be illustrated, but the foregoing suffice to illustrate a few practical applications of the method or process in the art of ore treatment.

I will now proceed to briefly describe the several mechanical constructions illustrated, and first the one shown in Fig. 1. This figure is like Fig. 2 of the patent referred to, and consists of an inclined plate 1, having sides 2, with auxiliary pieces 3, standing in an upright position to prevent the pulp or water from flowing over the sides. In these auxiliary pieces 3 the grooves 5 5 are out upon an incline opposite to that of plate 1, and in them an amalgamating plate 4 is placed. The numeral 6 indicates the main for conducting the charged or impregnated air from the source of supply, and '7 '7 are the branch pipes, which reach down into proximity to the surfaces of plates 1 and 4, and through them the impregnated or gaseous air issues into the lower strata of the pulp, through which it discharges through the mass and in contact with the amalgam on plate 4. During this discharge and'passage any grease or oil that maybe present in the pulp is saponified, and the pulp is clarified and made more amenable to amalgamation by the action of the gas upon the clay and matter in suspension; also, during this passage of the gas through the pulp it alters the physical condition of the mineral particles, and, furthermore, by its contact with the a-malgamating-plate it is efficacious in pre- V venting the sickening and flouring of the als caught and amalgamated by the plate 4, which'in most cases is considerable, and in this way not only are the values saved which would .otherwisebe lost, but also the amalgamating-plate is kept chemically clean and in the proper consistency, so that at all times it is able to perform its functions with the greatest possible efliciency.

The only diiference between the constructions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is that in the former the discharge pipe or main 6, with its branch jets 7 7, is located inside of the mor- In the accompanying drawingsIhave shown tar, so that the discharge of gas or impregnated air takes place in the pulp as it is being crushed by the stamps, whereas in Fig. 3 the discharge pipe or main is located just outside of the stamp-battery, where it passes into the pulp as it leaves the latter. In the latter constructions the discharge takes place in a small shallow transversely disposed trough or gutter 8, by preference, as better results are attained in that way.

Passing now to Fig. 4, the preferred .construction is to employ a pipe or main 6,-which extends around the exterior of the Huntington or a similar mill. This pipe is located as near the bottom of the trough as is practicable, and in lieu of the jets heretofore shown and described the pipe is filled with a plurality of perforations 9 9,, through which the gas is discharged.

It will beunderstood, of course, that the mode of charging or impregnating the air and the means of suzpplyingit under the required pressure are no part .of the present invention and do not need detailed description, as it is merely necessary that it be fed into the lower end of a receptacle containing the difierent chemicals or chemical, through which it rises and from which it is conveyed to the pulp in a charged or impregnated condition.

The chlorin and bromin as well, when used, may be prepared in lead-lined tanks by any of the methods usually employed for their productionfor instance, chlorin-by mixing sa'lt, sulfuric acid, and manganese dioxid and warming the whole, or it maybe generated by adding sulfuric acid (H to chlorid of lime. The various gases are united in a large rsized galvanized-iron cylinder, and pressure for forcing the gases generated into the main cylinder may be created by a Root blower or other means. All this, however, is subject to variation and is no part of my invention.

The action of the gaseous air is substantially the same in each of the constructions described, and therefore it is not necessary to repeat what has been said in connection with'the description .of the form shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, the results would diifer more vor less with the different ores treated and different chemicals used. In fact, the reason why I desire this latitude (in the selection of these chemicals) is because certain chemicals or combinations of chemicals appli- IIO causes cable to the treatment of certain ores may not work as advantageously as other chemical combinations with other ores, and it is the purpose of my invention to provide a process which will give the best results with the greatest number and widest range of ores to be treated and one which at the same time will act upon the amalgam on the plate so as to keep it clean and of proper consistency to do uniform and successful service. In short, it has the twofold eifect of operating upon the material treated and the element-the quicksilver or mercuryused in the process of treating these ores.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of amalgamation consisting in introducing into the ore-pulp, air impregnated with two or more chemicals adapted by their mutual reaction to promote amalgamation and prevent the sickening of the mercury, substantially as described.

2. The process of treating ores consisting in introducing into wet pulp airimpregnated with chemicals which by their mutual reaction in solution produce free oxygen.

3. The process of treating ores consisting in introducing into wet pulp, air impregnated with ammonia and a halogen gas.

4. The herein-described-process of treating ores which consists in bringing ammoniated air in combination with chlorin gas into the presence of wet ore-pulp.

5. The herein-described process of treating ores which consists in admitting ammoniated air in combination with chlorin gas below the surface of wet ore-pulp and discharging it upward therethrough.

6. The herein-described process of treating ores which consists in bringing ammoniated air, bromin and chlorin gas into the presence of wet ore-pulp.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS SELIGSOHN.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. NEWTON, RALPH S. WARFIELD. 

